Mock draft 2026


This felt about as close to an NBA simulated game/defense as we can look at for a future prospect, especially a future lead ball-handler. Flemings handled it damn near perfectly. Especially coming off 2 poor games, by his standards, to rise up in a difficult game like this is impressive.

Makes it feel that much more important we tank the hell out of the end of the season. Guarantee we leave the draft with one of Peterson/AJ/Booz/Wilson/Flemings and we'll have a hell of a start to our rebuild.
 

I absolutely get the comp but how is this supported to make people excited for Cam Boozer?

Well most magic fans and people on Twitter are saying Paolo doesn’t have IQ or feel which shatters this comparison

This felt about as close to an NBA simulated game/defense as we can look at for a future prospect, especially a future lead ball-handler. Flemings handled it damn near perfectly. Especially coming off 2 poor games, by his standards, to rise up in a difficult game like this is impressive.

Makes it feel that much more important we tank the hell out of the end of the season. Guarantee we leave the draft with one of Peterson/AJ/Booz/Wilson/Flemings and we'll have a hell of a start to our rebuild.

He was calm and collected in an extreme environment like that he was impressive for sure ISU couldn’t rush him at all
 

I absolutely get the comp but how is this supported to make people excited for Cam Boozer?
Cam's numbers are just across the board better than Paolo's at Duke, and man, if you look at the advanced stats...

Paolo went #1. I mean, it wasn't a super clear draft with Chet and Jabari, but he went #1, and Boozer is like twice as good as him.
 
Cam's numbers are just across the board better than Paolo's at Duke, and man, if you look at the advanced stats...

Paolo went #1. I mean, it wasn't a super clear draft with Chet and Jabari, but he went #1, and Boozer is like twice as good as him.

Yeah, feels like people aren't really grasping how unreal Boozer's statistical dominance has been and vs I believe the hardest SOS to date in college basketball.

It's a gift to whoever lands at 2 or 3 that he'll still be on the board. I'm not really sure how many drafts over the last 20 years where that would be the case. Can't completely rule out him at #1 of course, but the fact it's a question is pretty absurd.
 
I’ve been a little cool on Boozer because I think his defense will be OK - and I think of him as more of a Kevin Love than point forward type like Banchero (my analysis of his game is very limited at this point - I could be way off the mark). But I also think if he’s Domas with a legit 3 point shot, that’s a big time player.

But Caleb Wilson just looks like a dude to me. Where are folks on the Wilson versus Boozer choice (if the Kings have the option?

Yeah, feels like people aren't really grasping how unreal Boozer's statistical dominance has been and vs I believe the hardest SOS to date in college basketball.

It's a gift to whoever lands at 2 or 3 that he'll still be on the board. I'm not really sure how many drafts over the last 20 years where that would be the case. Can't completely rule out him at #1 of course, but the fact it's a question is pretty absurd.
 
I can't get hyped for Boozer.

Bigs without elite defense just don't seem to have the impact you need from a franchise cornerstone. Floor raisers for sure, but if your best player is a KAT or Domas type, you're never going to be a contender, even if they have neat counting stats.
 
I’ve been a little cool on Boozer because I think his defense will be OK - and I think of him as more of a Kevin Love than point forward type like Banchero (my analysis of his game is very limited at this point - I could be way off the mark). But I also think if he’s Domas with a legit 3 point shot, that’s a big time player.

But Caleb Wilson just looks like a dude to me. Where are folks on the Wilson versus Boozer choice (if the Kings have the option?

Cam Boozer as Domas with a better outside shot I can kindof see. Kevin Love early in his career was known mostly for making otherworldly full-court outlet passes off of rebounds, I don't know that I have seen anyone who matches him in that department. But as a shorthand for the level of star Boozer could be, sure. Maybe also KAT with a better motor? The reality with all of these guys is that in 5 years they'll grow into the players we compare other players to and these pre-draft comparisons rarely hold up to scrutiny. For sure he ought to be a very good NBA player which is enough said in that department.

I'm sold on Caleb Wilson to the point where I would take him first overall before Peterson or Dybantsa so there's no settling there in my mind if he ends up being our pick. I might even be leaning toward Boozer at #2. This is colored heavily by Kings history so not necessarily indicative of how I would rank each of them as players absent all context. The talent there at the top is close enough that I don't think there's a bad choice here -- just some who will eventually turn out to be better choices than others.

We're likely in for multiple seasons of tanking losing big at this point and there are guard options in every draft so taking Darryn Peterson at #1/#2 or Kingston Flemings at #4/#5 would be less exciting to me than the other top players. Even in this draft there will be Darius Acuff, Labaron Philon, and Mikel Brown Jr. going later in the lottery all of whom have serious upside as lead guards. And some of the second round options like Sergio De Larrea and Dash Daniels are intriguing upside swings too.
 
Cam Boozer as Domas with a better outside shot I can kindof see. Kevin Love early in his career was known mostly for making otherworldly full-court outlet passes off of rebounds, I don't know that I have seen anyone who matches him in that department. But as a shorthand for the level of star Boozer could be, sure. Maybe also KAT with a better motor? The reality with all of these guys is that in 5 years they'll grow into the players we compare other players to and these pre-draft comparisons rarely hold up to scrutiny. For sure he ought to be a very good NBA player which is enough said in that department.

I'm sold on Caleb Wilson to the point where I would take him first overall before Peterson or Dybantsa so there's no settling there in my mind if he ends up being our pick. I might even be leaning toward Boozer at #2. This is colored heavily by Kings history so not necessarily indicative of how I would rank each of them as players absent all context. The talent there at the top is close enough that I don't think there's a bad choice here -- just some who will eventually turn out to be better choices than others.

We're likely in for multiple seasons of tanking losing big at this point and there are guard options in every draft so taking Darryn Peterson at #1/#2 or Kingston Flemings at #4/#5 would be less exciting to me than the other top players. Even in this draft there will be Darius Acuff, Labaron Philon, and Mikel Brown Jr. going later in the lottery all of whom have serious upside as lead guards. And some of the second round options like Sergio De Larrea and Dash Daniels are intriguing upside swings too.

I agree with the flemming point but definitely not with Peterson. Peterson has elite potential as a big guard which is definitely different from Simone like flemming whose a pg
 
I agree with the flemming point but definitely not with Peterson. Peterson has elite potential as a big guard which is definitely different from Simone like flemming whose a pg

It's rare for me to flip out over a player who looks to be pretty solidly in the scoring guard camp. My preference is for pass-first guards who are also plus defenders. I will make an exception for a scoring guard who has top of the charts athleticism which makes them a constant threat to attack the rim, like an Anthony Edwards. Not saying I'm right... it has been a consistent blind-spot for me over the years. I was pretty lukewarm about Steph Curry in his draft year too, which was obviously a bad call.
 
It's rare for me to flip out over a player who looks to be pretty solidly in the scoring guard camp. My preference is for pass-first guards who are also plus defenders. I will make an exception for a scoring guard who has top of the charts athleticism which makes them a constant threat to attack the rim, like an Anthony Edwards. Not saying I'm right, but it has been a consistent blind-spot for me over the years. I was pretty lukewarm about Steph Curry in his draft year too, which was obviously a bad call.

Yeah but Curry came in at the right exact time too. Still a great shooter put that dude in the 90's prior to the rules changes about restricted movement and he ain't this guy. Going into every draft and seeing Curry in a decent but not great prospect is how for years teams kept picking the next Ewing, Pippen, or KG and ended up looking like idiots most of the time. Ain't gonna happen again most likely. Not this soon. Flemings is a good prospect and who knows could be by far the best player in this draft, but is definitely someone that will be interesting to see how teams actually feel about him considering he's pretty much go right off pick and roll and get into the mid range which hasn't been something GM's of this era are too infatuated with. His game is a lot closer to DeRozan than Curry at this point in terms of where he tends to dominate.
 
It's rare for me to flip out over a player who looks to be pretty solidly in the scoring guard camp. My preference is for pass-first guards who are also plus defenders. I will make an exception for a scoring guard who has top of the charts athleticism which makes them a constant threat to attack the rim, like an Anthony Edwards. Not saying I'm right... it has been a consistent blind-spot for me over the years. I was pretty lukewarm about Steph Curry in his draft year too, which was obviously a bad call.

Aren’t pass firsts point guards extinct


If this happens there won’t be a discussion on who the first pick is
 
Yeah but Curry came in at the right exact time too. Still a great shooter put that dude in the 90's prior to the rules changes about restricted movement and he ain't this guy. Going into every draft and seeing Curry in a decent but not great prospect is how for years teams kept picking the next Ewing, Pippen, or KG and ended up looking like idiots most of the time. Ain't gonna happen again most likely. Not this soon. Flemings is a good prospect and who knows could be by far the best player in this draft, but is definitely someone that will be interesting to see how teams actually feel about him considering he's pretty much go right off pick and roll and get into the mid range which hasn't been something GM's of this era are too infatuated with. His game is a lot closer to DeRozan than Curry at this point in terms of where he tends to dominate.

I've been wondering the same thing about Dybantsa. His 3pt attempt rate is on the low side and he's been living at the free throw line (9th overall in NCAA for FTA this season) -- neither of which presents a problem for me. I like players who get to the free throw line consistently, its one of the most reliable ways to generate offense, and prefer to see scorers who aren't overly reliant on long range shooting. Where I get a little confused is when I see all of this moaning and groaning over DeRozan dominating the ball and scoring mostly at the free throw line and mid-range while at the same time "Dybantsa will save us!" gets raised as a mantra of hope. Sports fandom almost by definition is irrational in nature, but in this case the two attitudes are so directly incongruent that I would characterize their existing simultaneously as a paradox.
 
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